Vishal Bhardwaj on sharing stage with wife Rekha for first time: It's like discovering yourself

As he shares the stage with wife Rekha for the first time, Vishal Bhardwaj on the joys of revisiting his music

Their love for music has often brought them together professionally, with many of their collaborations resulting in award-winning songs. But in his 22-year-long career, Vishal Bhardwaj had never got the opportunity to sing with wife Rekha - until now. The filmmaker-composer recently shared the stage with his better half on MTV Unplugged.

Vishal Bhardwaj

"Rekha and I have been singing [individually] since our college days, but this was the first time we came together for a duet," says Bhardwaj. What appealed to him about the show was that it gave him a chance to reimagine his offerings. "Most of my compositions have been sung by other singers. For instance, Paani Paani Re was sung by Lataji [Mangeshkar], Chhod Aaye Hum Woh Galiyaan by Suresh Wadkar and Hariharan, and Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. I'm glad I got to present them in my own way. It was liberating."

The winner of several National Awards says that the beauty of revisiting one's old songs is that it rekindles your romance with them. "As I sang tracks that were composed 22 years ago, I discovered that some melodies are timeless. When you sing them again, they feel as fresh as they were when they were made. It's like discovering yourself again."

Rekha

Ask him about his wife's influence on his music and he says, "Rekha is a fantastic singer and she contributes a lot to my music. Even if she is not singing, she is my sounding board. We are on the same wavelength and our music aesthetics bind us. " He adds that the two are contemplating working on a project together. "I am also planning to launch my music label. The first song that I want to release is with Lataji, which I had recorded long back."

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